Republicans gained at least 60 seats in this week’s election, but they are positioned to win as many as five more at week’s end. While Democratic incumbents are holding slim leads in four of the still-contested races, they trail in five more contests, with tens of thousands of ballots have yet to be counted.

Late Friday, The Associated Press declared Rep. Gabrielle Giffords the winner over Republican challenger Jesse Kelly in Arizona's 8th District after she expanded her lead to 3,055 votes. Kelly has vowed he won’t concede until all absentee votes are counted.

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POLITICO 44

Here’s POLITICO’s list of races to watch now and into next week.

DEMOCRATS LEADING

Washington 2nd District

Democratic Rep. Rick Larsen is pulling further ahead of John Korster his Republican challenger. As of Friday, Larsen, the incumbent, led Koster by 1,451 votes with about 80 percent of precincts reporting. Results could take days: Washington voters cast their ballots by mail, and voters have until Election Day to send in their ballots.

California 11th District

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney has increased his lead over GOP rival David Harmer, according to AP data: he’s now ahead by 568 votes. Absentee and provisional ballots probably won’t be counted until the end of the week, and the race is likely headed to a recount. Harmer sent supporters an e-mail, telling them to hang tough: “Don’t be unduly concerned by short-term fluctuations in the vote totals. At this point, it appears that counting will proceed more rapidly in the counties where McNerney was stronger. We expect to more than make up the difference as counting proceeds in our strongholds.”

Virginia’s 11th District

Incumbent Rep. Gerry Connolly declared victory over Republican foe Keith Fimian Friday afternoon, as the Democrat’s lead expanded to 968 votes. “With the vote count complete, I want to reiterate my deep gratitude to the voters of the 11th Congressional District of Virginia for electing me to a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Connolly said in a statement. “It is a great privilege to serve the citizens of the 11th CD, and I do so with deep respect for our citizens, our state, and our great nation.” Virginia election officials completed their canvass of the suburban Washington district’s votes Friday, though Fimian’s campaign is entitled to ask for a recount, though his campaign so far hasn’t made that request.

Kentucky 6th District

With all of Kentucky’s counties having certified their vote totals, incumbent Democratic Rep. Ben Chandler’s lead over GOP challenger Andy Barr is now 649 votes. Barr, for his part, is calling for a re-canvass of the vote, saying in a Thursday statement: “The people of Central Kentucky, including members of the military who have cast absentee ballots, deserve proper assurance that every legal vote has been counted.” The Kentucky Board of Elections is slated to meet Nov. 22 to certify the election results.

We need to keep all these recounts front and center in the news to make sure there is no more fraud than the socialist party has already built into the system. No more undiscovered Democratic votes being "found" in the trunk of someone's car with a liberal Secretary of State standing by to certify them and a leftist judge reading to halt any further investigation of them.

That trick worked in Minnesota last election cycle but hopefully now that the tea parties have allowed the Republican party to grow a backbone, they have realized by now the extent that the Democratic party will go to in order to steal an election and have taken steps to prevent it.

Why is it that when conservatives don't agree with liberals agenda we are labeled racist, homophobic, extremist, radical, etc.??? I don't agree with homosexual behavior but I don't make personal attacks against homosexuals. I believe that people should come to this country LEGALLY and obey our laws, but I am not a racist. I believe that our government should stop spending money we don't have and am proud to say so, but I'm not extremist nor am I radical. Its the liberals that are always spewing hate with all these attacks on average, tax-paying Americans who dare to voice their opinion. Frankly, I'm getting pretty sick of it.

When an apparent drunken Etheridge grabbed that kid by the back of the neck and slurred out "who are you ?", I realized the low character standards of our paid politicians. No wonder they enjoy a 19% approval rating. This guy should get about a 4 %. I would expect to hear Etheridge, and his democrat kind, have resorted to cheating.

As long as the repubs vote part lines it really does not matter, repubs still do not have 2/3 of the house to override a veto

Veto what? Dems still control the Senate, albeit by less votes. And even if a few of the remaining "conservative" Senators join with the GOP to create a majority in the Senate, the Dems, who have been raging against the party of "no" for 4 years, will suddenly see the light and proudly mount filibuster after filibuster to stop anything they don't like.

Obama will not have to veto a thing. Not having 2/3 of the House is a moot point.